Hat fastener



Feb. 29, 1944. w,v FmRD 2,343,052

HAT FASTERER Filed Dem l4, 1942 V EN TOR.

Patented Feb. 29, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAT FASTENER Reuben W. Gifford, University Heights, Ohio Application December 14, 1942, Serial No. 468,919

8 Claims.

Another object is to provide the attaching device in such a manner that it will not change the shape of the hat though the necessary stress is applied to maintain the hat snugly in position.

Another object is to provide a ready adjustment for different types of hats as well as for different sizes of heads or different arrangements of hair which the fastening engages.

My fastening device comprises a plurality of ties spaced apart and attached to the hat in both its front and rear regions and connected with 1 each other between the points of attachment to provide a cross member to come at the rear of the head and provide an effective anchorage connected with both the front and rear portions of the hat.

The ties are preferably elastic cords (using that term in a broad sense to cover strings, strips or hands, round or flat or of other cross sections) and may well be narrow strips of rubberized fabric that they may be stretched in application and thus apply a constant tension to the hat. The cross member of the fastener, which engages the back of the head or the hair in that locality, is adjustably connected with the hat either by the elasticity of the connecting ties or by being adapted to be shifted on the ties or by forming a diverted transverse portion of the ties themselves.

Several embodiments in my invention are illustrated in the drawing and are hereinafter more fully described, though the several embodiments shown should be considered as illustrations of various means of carrying out my invention rather than an enumeration of all forms contemplated.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective of a conventional hat equipped with my fastening device in place on the head of a wearer; Fig. 2 is an inverted view of the hat removed and with the fastening device shown in its extended or applied position, for clearness of illustration; Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section through one of the points of attachment of the fastener, as indicated for instance by the line 3-3 on Fig. 2.

The remaining figures are diagrams illustrating various manners in which the tying cords and the cross member may be carried; Fig. 4 showing the dies as comprising two U-shaped cords, one having its legs attached to the forward portion of the hat and the other having its legs attached to the rear portion, the bends of the U-portions being adjustably connected together by suitable clips; Fig. 5 shows two cords each attached at one end to the front portion of the hat on one side thereof and at the other end attached to the rear portion on the opposite side, the intermediate regions of the cords being transverse and lying alongside of each other and being connected by clips; Fig. 6 illustrates a construction Where there are two cords each attached at its forward end to the front portion of the hat and then at its rear end to the rear portion and the cross member is separate and slidably attached at its ends to the respective cords; Fig. 7 illustrates an embodiment where there are four elastic cords connected at their ends to two regions at the front of the hat and to two regions at the rear thereof, and the cross member comprises a ring connecting the four ends of the cords.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, A indicates the body of the hat and B the usual hat band within the hat stitched to it adjacent the marginal edge of the hat. My fastening device, in any of the forms shown, is adapted for attachment to the hat band. The attachment may be made in any suitable manner. In Fig. 3, I have indicated a convenient method of attachment comprising a short metal bar C clamped on a cord D and adapted to extend in each direction therefrom. Such bar may be simply a doubled strip of sheet metal and by being pointed at one end may be readily pushed through the hat band with the adjacent portion of the cord and thereafter may bridge across the opening by which it entered and firmly retain thecord attached, until such time as it is desired to move it. This is to be taken as an illustration of any convenient means of attaching the end of the cord.

In Figs. 2 and 4, the fastening device shown comprises one U-shaped cord having portions H), H and I2, and a second cord having portions l5, l5 and Il. The portions l0 and I2 are attached at their free ends to the forward part of the hat at regions designated I and 2, and the portions l5 and ll of the fastener are attached to the rear part of the hat at regions designated 3 and 4, while the intermediate portions II and I6 of the fastener lie alongside of each other and are clamped together by suitable clips as is at the ends of the intermediate portions and if desired one or more extra clips l9 between the end clips.

It will be seen in this embodiment by shoving the clips i8 outwardly the effective length of the fore and aft portions of the loops is shortened, and by bringing the clips toward each other these fore and aft portions are lengthened, thus providing a ready adjustment for different conditions.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated the fastening device as of a similar shape and having the same points of attachment to the hat, but instead of being U-shaped members they are two crossing and intermediately diverted cords. That is to say, there is a continuous cord having a forward portion 29 attached to one side of the hat at the front, at the region designated I; then a cross portion 2| and then a rearwardly extending portion 22 attached to the rear portion of the hat at A on the opposite side from the point of attachment at the front. There is a similar cord 23 attached at 2 to the other side at the front end and to the opposite side at the rear at The two intermediate portions of the strands El and 24 are connected by slidable clips 25. By shifting these clips in or out the effective length of the foreand-aft portions of the fasten r is varied.

In Fig. 6, I have shown the fastener having the same four points of attachment to the hat band designated l, 2, 3 and 4, but in this case two cords 36 and 3! are connected at their forward ends to the points I and 2 at the front of the hat and at their rear ends to the points 3 and t at the rear portion of the hat respectively, and these two fore-and-aft cords are bridged by a cross cord 32 slidably embracing the fore-and-aft cords.

In the embodiment of Fig. 7, the fastener is attached at the four points I, 2, 3, and 4, as heretofore, and has a cross member to lie behind the head, but in this case each of four cords iii, GI, 42, 43 leads diagonally from its point of attachment to the periphery of a ring G5 which constitutes the cross member, the inner ends of the cords being attached to this cross member.

The clips of Figs. 4 and 5, the anchorages at the ends of the cross cord of Fig. 6, and the ring of Fig. 7 may all be made of soft material, such as fabric or fabric-covered ,material and thus have a clinging action against the hair of the wearer.

It will be seen that in all of the forms illustrated, I have provided an elastic fastening device of approximate H-shape, the four ends of which are attached to the hat at four spaced points, two in the front portion and two in the rear portion. of the hat, and in all the embodiments there is a cross member associated with the cords and adapted to lie behind the wearers head and maintain the cords under tension, so that the hat is effectively held in place on the wearers head without disturbing the shape of the hat.

I claim:

1. A hat fastener comprising elastic cords arranged in a general H-shape to provide four arms and a cross portion, and means for adjusting the effective length of the cross portion to vary the relation between the cross portion and the arms.

2. A hat fastener comprising two cords arranged with intermediate portions substantially parallel to each other and four extreme portions leading from the ends of the intermediate portions, two of the extreme portions being attachable to spaced regions at the front of the hat and the other two extreme portions attachable to spaced regions at the rear of the hat, and means for holding the two intermediate portions together.

3. A hat fastener comprising two elastic cords aranged with intermediate portions substantially parallel to each other, four extreme portions diverging fr'om the intermediate portions, two of the ertreme portions being attachable to spaced regions at the front of the hat and the other two extreme portions attachable to spaced regions at the rear of the hat, and clips slidably embracing the two intermediate portions and adapted to adjust the length thereof.

4. A hat fastener comprising an elastic cord of U-shape with its ends attached at two separated regions at the front of the hat, an elastic cord of U shape with its ends attached to two separated regions at the rear of the hat, the two intermediate portions of the two Us lying alongside of each other, and clips embracing intermediate portions and slidabie thereon to determine the points of divergence of the end portions.

5. A hat fastener comprising two elastic cords one attached at one end to the forward portion of the hat at the right side thereof, and at the other end attached to the rear portion at the left side thereof, the other cord attached at the forward portion of the hat at the left side thereof and at the rearward portion to the right side thereof, and clips embracing intermediate regions of the two cords and holding them substantially parallel with each other to provide a cross memoer to come at the back of the wearers head.

6. A hat fastener comprising four inwardly extending elastic cords each attached at its outer end to a hat, the :points of attachment being at the right and left at the front of the hat and at the right and left at the rear of the hat, and a ring attached to the four inner ends of the cords and forming a cross member adapted to lie behind the head of the wearer to place the four cords under tension.

'7. A flexible hat fastener of approximate H- shape, with its cross portion carrying soft yielding material adapted to cling to the hair of the wearer.

8. A hat fastener comprising means attached to the hat and adapted to extend across the hair of the wearer and a soft yielding material mounted on the crossing portion of said means and adapted to cling to the hair of the wearer.

REUBEN W. GIFFORD. 

